Wichita eagle., 1887-05-15
NATURAL GAS PROBABILITIES.
Some Interesting Facts Connected With
the Discovery and Conversion to
Practical Purposes.


the Discovery and Conversion to
Practical Purposes.
| The recent discoveries of natural gas,
| and the practical use to which it is being
put in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Ken
lucky, is awakening keen interest in
scientific circles here, and the reports from
those competent to report upon the subject
are locked for with great deal of inter-
est. The subject is now being carefully
studied by experts. and before many
months the geological survey expects to
have some new and valuable information
upon the subject What will be the ex-
tent, duration and practical value Of the gas
producing field is subject of great inter
est And it may as well be admitted, it is
subject about which the geOlogists and
scientific people generally know very little
as vet. Where it comes from when and
how it was formed, whether its production
is yet going on down in natures great lab
oratory, how long it is going to last, under
what parts Of the country and the surface
of the earth generally it is found, all are
subjects of great uncertainty and grave
concern. 1t is curious fact, too, that in
the very sections are cities where natural
gas is today so abundant and creating so
much excitement, its existence has been
known for many years, and been utilized
in quiet way for decade or quarter Of
a century, or even more. In Findiay, Ohio,
natural gas has been known to exist ever
since its settlement, and was met with in
digging cellars and wells and found in
springs and rock crevices.
In 1888, almost full half century ago,
it was utilized in small way for lighting
residence or two in the village, and has
been so utilized ever since. The earliest
use Of natural gas for practical purposes
in this country is that at Fredonia, n. Y,
where the natural gas was found escaping
from the rock crevices and springs when
the Holland Land Company made its sur
vey. In 1921 well was sunk to the depth
of 81 feet for the purpose of gathering
some of this escaping gas, and it was util-
lied with iron pipes with small holes at The
side for its escape Burned in this way it
made flame ''about equal to two can
dies" By 1924, the date of LaFayette's
visit, the enterprise had progressed so far
that the town was lighted with this natural
gas on the occasion Of his visit. Probably
the first reported discovery of natural gas
was in the Kanawha valley, where
it is just now, a century later,
being rediscovered. The earliest ex-
plorers of the Kanawha valley found
''marsh gas" the modern natural gas, is
suing from springs, and it is related that
Washington, in locating lands decided him
for his military services, found burning
spring" which he proposed to deed for
public uses. but which, through some in
| formality was never completed. Nearly a
half century ago natural gas was utilized
for boiling salt in the Kanawha valley.
In Illinois, where the gas excitement has
blazed up so vigorously of late, there have
been gas wells for over thirty years, the
first having been utilized as early as 1855.
The latest work on this subject, by the
geological survey, says: 'In general it
may be said that natural gas is found in
varying quantities all through the territory
from the Hudson river on the east to Cali
fornia on the west. In New York, Penn
sylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky,
Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Indiana,
Illinois, Missouri, Iowa, Wisconsin, Kan
sas, Colorado, Dakota, Utah, Wyoming
and California its existence is reported"
Where can it be found in paying quaint
ties? All, that is another question. This
same work, discussing this same question
remarks that it is almost impossible to put
down the drill anywhere in the state of
Ohio without finding natural gas in greater
or less quantities, but adds, "Outside of the
| localities in which the Berea grit and Tren-
ton limestone have been found the Gas is
produced in very small quantities. Per
| haps the most suggestive and instructive
statement in regard to surface indications
is that made by Prof Lesley touching
Pennsylvania In answer to the question
| shall | bore for gas at my works. he
says:
First, of all-there can be no gas stored
up III the oldest rocks. This settles the
question in the negative for the whole
southeastern third of Pennsylvania To
bore for gas in Bucks, Philadelphia, Della
ware and other counties would be simply
absurd
Second. There can be no gas left IN
der the ground where the old rocks have
been turned up on edge and overturned,
fractured and cemented, faulted and dis
turbed in thousand ways. If there ever
was any it has long since found innumera-
BILE ways of escape into the atmosphere.
This settles the question for all the counties
of the great valley, as any one can see by
looking at the present condition Of their
| limestone, slate and sandstone formations. y
Third There is not the least chance
that any gas is left underground in the
greatly folded. crushed and hardened
formations of the middle belt of the state
Where the oil and gas rocks rise to the
surface in these counties they show that
all their gas and oil have escaped long
ago"
Fourth. Where the rock formations lie
approximately horizontal and have re
manned nearly undisturbed over extensive
areas, as in all the counties west of the AL
| leghanies, there is always chance of find
ing gas, if not oil, at some depth beneath
the surface. determined by the particular
formation which appears at the surface.
Fifth Whenever the bituminous coal
beds have ceen changed into anthracite or
semi bituminous coal it is reasonable to
suppose that the same agency which pro-
duced the change, whatever it was, must
have acted on the whole column of forma-
tons, including any possible gas rock at
any depth
Sixth. Wherever rock oil has been found
| there and in the surrounding region rock
gas is sure to exsst.
THE STRENGTH OF THE MUGWUMPS